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Technical proposal writers are responsible for conveying technical information in understandable terms to persuade prospects to do business with a specific company or institution. All information provided is based on the requirements stated in the Requests for Proposals or Requests for Quotes solicited by clients. Proposals often cite past performance of the product or service as well as its capabilities, processes and contextual details. Due to the complex nature of the work, technical proposal writers can ask for more than the national average wage, which was close to $42,000 in 2010.

Salary

As of May 2011, the Bureau of Labor Statistic estimates technical writers earn an average of $67,000 per year. This salary, however, accounts for all technical writers, including those who scribe manuals, instructions and other documents to improve the end-user experience. In 2012, technical proposal writers are likely to earn somewhere between $56,000 and $80,000 annually, reports The Creative Group, a national recruiting firm for interactive, design and marketing talent.

Industry

Playing into salary ranges is industry. Certain industries simply pay more, due to the complexity of products or services. Wireless telecommunication carriers, for example, pay close to 30 percent more than the national average, according to information provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The same can be said for computer equipment manufacturers, offering mean wages of almost 25 percent more than the norm. Electronic goods wholesalers, software publishers and the federal executive branch of government also pay above national averages. Securing a position in any one of these industries can translate into greater earning potential for technical proposal writers.

Location

Where the position is located also affects salaries -- often more so than industry. Writing technical proposals in Oakland, California, can bring in 27 percent more money than average, regardless of industry. The same position in New York, New York, offers a salary of 41 percent more than national averages. But proposal writers in Akron, Ohio, can expect to earn 11 percent less than the norm. The variances in salary are largely due to the differences in cost of living, so it’s important to keep this in mind when relocating for a position.

Job Outlook

Based on ever-expanding industries in science and technology, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects a 17 percent growth in employment for technical writers from 2010 to 2020. This is much faster than the average for all professions. Many of these jobs will come from scientific and technical service firms but can also originate directly from the manufacturers themselves. A background in the industry, such as computer science, engineering or electronics, can help relate more complicated information to readers unfamiliar with the technical aspects of a product or service.

About the Author

Based in Minneapolis, Minn., Dana Severson has been writing marketing materials for small-to-mid-sized businesses since 2005. Prior to this, Severson worked as a manager of business development for a marketing company, developing targeted marketing campaigns for Big G, Betty Crocker and Pillsbury, among others.

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Severson, Dana. "The Average Salary of a Technical Proposal Writer." Work - Chron.com, http://work.chron.com/average-salary-technical-proposal-writer-7307.html. Accessed 21 January 2019.

Severson, Dana. (n.d.). The Average Salary of a Technical Proposal Writer. Work - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://work.chron.com/average-salary-technical-proposal-writer-7307.html

Severson, Dana. "The Average Salary of a Technical Proposal Writer" accessed January 21, 2019. http://work.chron.com/average-salary-technical-proposal-writer-7307.html

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